By Trinity Kamwani

Neno, August 09, Mana: About 80 youths in the area of Traditional Authority Mlauli and Chekucheku in Neno District are undergoing a 14 days training on entrepreneurship, business management and mindset change under the National Youth Service (NYS) program.

Speaking Wednesday at Ligowe Teachers Development Centre during the training session, Neno District Youth Officer Ian Sukali said the training has been divided into two parts namely personal training which will take place for seven days and the other seven days will be for practical work.

He said at the end of the training, participants are expected to produce viable business plans that will be funded by the National Youth Service to roll out their business enterprises.

Sukali added that by the end of the training, the youth are also expected to produce a community service project because it is mandatory that after being supported through the NYS,

“The community service to be implemented is crucial as one way of giving back to their community but also as a way of building patriotism and volunteerism among the youths,” Sukali said.

He added that the training will direct them into green business as they will be able to answer the needs of their areas while addressing different problems like climate change.

He said that National Youth Service interventions aims at moulding self-reliant youths and promoting the use of available resources for economic growth.

Speaking during the training Neno Director of Planning and Development (DPD) Charles Lomoni urged the youth to come up with viable business plans that will be funded so that they should establish their business and empower themselves and become self-reliance.

He therefore advised them to take the training seriously and acquire knowledge that will sharpen their skills and replicate in order to benefit the nation as empowered youths will enable the realization of the Malawi 2063 vision.

One of the participants Alice Bamusi commended the training saying it will empower her with entrepreneurship skills that will enable her to establish her business.

By Martha Simchimba

Lilongwe, August 31, Mana: Lilongwe District Council has asked farmers to commercialise their agricultural productivity by, among other things, adding value to their produce and make it stand competitively on international market.

The council’s Chairperson, Dan Ntayamanja was speaking Tuesday during a two-day agriculture fair held at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR)- Bunda campus in Lilongwe District.

Nthayamanja said many farmers in the country fail to find benefits from their agricultural activities because they do not add value to their produce.

“Let me take this opportunity to ask officials from Ministry of Agriculture and other partners that are here, to intensify trainings among local farmers on how they can add value to their produce so that they realise more benefits from their farming,” he said.

Ntayamanja further asked the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that they are readily available markets where local farmers can sell their produce instead of selling them to vendors at a loss.

Lilongwe Director of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Ezra Mbendera, said his ministry is geared to provide training on how local farmers can add value to their produce and sell them within and outside the country.

“There are many markets within and outside the country, but what is needed is farmers to produce quality produce that can stand competition both on local and international markets,” he said.

 One of the local farmers at the event, Agness Mbewe, commended the Ministry of Agriculture for assuring them on the availability of farm produce markets, saying ready markets for farm produce could end their poverty in due course.

She observed that many local farmers in the country produce a lot but do not enjoy the benefits of their work due to lack of knowledge and skills on value addition.

The agriculture fair, which was conducted under the theme ‘Agriculture Commercialisation- a key to Improved Food and Income Security’ drew together local farmers and different organisations such as DeKalb, SEEDCO, Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) and Farm Radio.

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By Joel Phiri

Mzimba, August 30, Mana: Director of Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources for M’mbelwa District Council, Beatrice Mbakaya has called upon newly elected leadership of District Stakeholders Panel (DSP) to be vibrant in ensuring that farmers’ needs are channelled to relevant authorities in order for them to be addressed.

Mbakaya was speaking on Tuesday in Mzimba during a district agriculture stakeholders panel meeting with various members of Extension Planning Areas (EPAs) drawn from Mzimba South.

She said most farmers have needs such as lack of markets for their agricultural produce, knowledge on where to get expertise on their farming and information on loan providers, among other issues, which the panel needs to handle and resolve in order to help the farmers get by with their farming activities.

 ‘‘As ministry of Agriculture, we look up to committees such as DSP to know issues that farmers have on the ground. You are our eyes on issues requiring our interventions.

“So, we ask you to be vibrant in working and reporting all issues and concerns to us as well as other actors so that all issues facing farmers be addressed. Together we can enhance the development of the agriculture sector through our different roles,’’ she said.

Acting chief agriculture officer for M’mbelwa District Council, Raphael Msyali said the future of agriculture rests on the shoulders of DSP because they are the ones who link up farmers with various actors in the agriculture sector.

‘‘The committee develops linkages with organizations so that when farmers need services in irrigation for example, the committee should be able to link the farmers to them” he said. or

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By Solister Mogha

Zomba, August 25, Mana: Titukulane Project, under Save the Children and Care Malawi, on Thursday handed over a 15-hectare Ikanga Irrigation Scheme at Chingale in Zomba as one way of improving crop production at household level among the rural population.

Speaking during the handover ceremony, Food Security and Technical Coordinator for Care Malawi, Henry Khonyongwa, said the organization was prompted to invest in a K25 million worth irrigation scheme as one way of improving people’s livelihoods through crop production.

Khonyongwa said because of communities’ interest in farming and readily available water sources, the organization thought of supporting farming communities with gravity fed irrigation system to alleviate people from routine hunger on top of promoting irrigation farming.

“This is one of the areas in Zomba that yearly get affected by hunger yet there are running rivers throughout the year. As an organization, we felt it necessary that we develop a gravity fed irrigation system with the aim of reducing hunger and improve livelihood,” he added.

Khonyongwa expressed hope that the irrigation scheme will help people to realize enough food and that the people will also engage in various agribusinesses.

One of the beneficiaries of the scheme, Oscar William, said the introduction of Ikanga Irrigation Scheme has helped farmers to grow thrice a year and has also, most importantly, reduced hunger.

“We would like to thank Titukulane Project for coming to our rescue; apart from the scheme, we have also been trained on modern farming technologies on top of accessing hybrid seed,” said Wiliam.

With the irrigation scheme in place, Village Head Fikila said his subjects will no longer go hungry.

“Famine is undisputable this year but, for us, we have hope that we will harvest maize from our irrigable lands,” the local leader added. 

Started in 2019, Ikanga Irrigation Scheme has 32 farmers who grow various crops such as maize, beans and tomatoes.

By Phyllis Nkhoma

Kasungu, August 21, Mana: Chief Agricultural Officer for Kasungu, Chikumbutso Liwonde says availability of well established markets can help boost agricultural productivity and assist farmers to progress in agri-business.

In an interview at the end of a three-day agriculture fair in Kasungu on Saturday, Liwonde said availability of good markets in the country would encourage farmers to expand their agricultural enterprises and take agriculture as a serious business venture.

He said: “Every year, our farmers cultivate diverse crops for both food and commercial purposes. However, they do not benefit much because of lack of good markets.

“In most cases, farmers sell their produce to local vendors at very low prices. In the end, they do not benefit anything from their work and in the long run, it discourages and force them to scale down production.”

Liwonde said the district agricultural fair was, therefore, organised to help farmers to meet and interact with potential buyers and also to accord them with an opportunity to learn modern methods of farming for improved yields.

Mayor for Kasungu Municipality, Heese Nyangu, said the agricultural fair was a good platform where farmers exhibited their produce for the attention of prospective buyers.

He encouraged farmers to adopt crop diversification to shrug off climatic shocks and also as a means to earn more from farming.

“Let us produce diverse crops so that we should have enough food and something for sale. This way we can easily prosper,” he said.

One of the farmers, Grace Shaba of Mphomwa Cooperative which produces cooking oil, asked Malawians to be buying farm produce from the local farmers saying most people opt to buy imported products.

“It is disheartening that most Malawians buy imported products while the same products are available locally. Buying locally produced products does not only support local farmers, but also helps to preserve foreign currency which we all know is in short supply,” she said.

Organised by the Kasungu agriculture office under the theme “Enhanced agriculture productivity and market linkage, key to industrialisation”, the fair attracted various farming cooperatives and individuals from across the district.

Agricultural commercialisation and productivity is one of the anchoring pillars of the Malawi 2063 development blueprint which seeks to make Malawi a middle income and self-reliant country by 2063.

By Wanangwa Tembo

Kasungu, August 29, Mana: At least 2000 farmers from Kasungu and Mzimba districts are earmarked to benefit from a K3 billion Empowering Women and Youth in Agriculture in Malawi project to be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The project which is being supported by the Flanders Government with technical support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), is designed to increase proportion of youths and women who contribute to the production and commercialisation of important and developing high value crops.

Briefing stakeholders in Kasungu on Monday, Coordinator for National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Eric Haraman said the project will promote advanced technologies, capital finance access, and high quality extension and advisory services to improve agricultural productivity and enhance key-value chains.

“The project will facilitate creation of an enabling environment for market access and linkage by processing and value addition, aggregating private sector engagement and forming primary secondary cooperatives.

“Additionally, it will increase agricultural productivity through advanced technologies and advisory services and facilitate access and linkages through value addition and cooperatives,” Haraman said.

He said the initiative reflects the goals of the Malawi 2063, National Agriculture Policy and National Export Strategy II policies which work to create an agriculture sector that is both highly productive and commercialised.

“Broadly, the project seeks to enhance agricultural productivity, improve access to markets and provide technical support to the Ministry of Agriculture. Through these components, we hope to have improved livelihoods, increased income, and sustainable markets.

“We would also want to see enhanced capacity and skills of farmers to deliver and benefit from improved agricultural production and productivity, value addition, trade and access to finance by women and youths,” he said.

Chief Agriculture Officer for Kasungu, Chikumbutso Liwonde, said the project is a game changer for women and youths who he said are largely sidelined in agricultural activities.

He said: “It’s a welcome development more because it is addressing critical issues affecting women and youths and agriculture in general. We have had instances whereby farmers are able to produce but after that, there are no steady markets.

“So this project will help address that gap where the beneficiaries in cooperatives and networks will be linked to off takers to sell their produce in steady markets.”

The project which will run for 28 months will also encourage practices to build climate resilience and restore critical ecosystems supporting agricultural production through agroforestry and forestry regeneration.

Women and youths are reported to be facing barriers in resource access, finance, mechanization and markets in the country’s mainstay sector that employs 76 percent of the population and contributes 80 percent of exports and 23 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

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By Salome Gangire

Neno, August 10, Mana: Group Village Head (GVH) Tsenjerani of Neno District in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Dambe has hailed construction of Tsenjerani Irrigation Scheme saying it would improve livelihood of her subjects.

She was speaking Wednesday during the handover of a contractor, UNIK Construction Engineering Limited who has been hired to undertake the construction of Tsenjerani irrigation scheme to the communities under the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP).

Tsenjerani said the 15 hectares’ irrigation scheme would enable her subjects scale up irrigation activities as they were irrigating on one and half hectares of land which would lead to increased crop yields and more income to the communities.

 “The irrigation scheme will enable the communities to scale up crop production as the scheme has more land which means the communities will attain food security and more income through crop sales,” she said.

Director of Planning and Development (DPD) for Neno District Council, Charles Lomoni said the irrigation scheme would transform people lives as the irrigation scheme would scale up farming activities taking place along Mfundazi River.

“We hope that once completed many people will benefit with economic activities as they will be growing different types of crops for consumption and sell hence their livelihood will greatly improve,” he said.

Lomoni said the communities would benefit economically during the construction of the scheme as some of them would be employed as casual labourers.

The DPD cautioned the communities against vandalising and stealing construction materials saying the vice was detrimental to development.

Representative of the Contracting Unit, Garikayi Chidziya assured the communities that they would ensure to complete the construction works within the specified period of time which is one year.

District Irrigation Officer for Neno Austin Ndengu said under Tsenjerani Irrigation Scheme, a weir would be constructed which would have main pipeline with secondary canals and hydrants where farmers would be pumping water for irrigation.

MWASIP District Project Coordinator for Neno, Vincent Sambuka said the construction of Tsenjerani Irrigation Scheme falls under MWASIP component of infrastructure development.

By Salome Gangire

Neno, August 15, Mana; Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has disbursed cash amounting to K41,449,600 to 400 farmers in the area of Traditional Authorities Chekucheku and Dambe in Neno to improve agricultural productivity.

Speaking during the disbursement ceremony held at the district council offices on Monday, FAO Programme Officer Aubrey Sidik said the funds will help beneficiary households to improve their agricultural productivity through adoption of climate smart agricultural practices such as manure making and application to their crop fields and conservation agriculture.

Each beneficiary household is receiving about K103,700 to help them prepare for the coming farming season by procuring farm inputs.

“They need to start preparing for the coming season now and the cash will support them in the preparatory processes for the coming growing season,” Sidik said.

He, therefore, encouraged the farmers to invest the cash into productive streams such as making of Mbeya fertilizer and accessing improved seeds.

District Commissioner for Neno, Hudson Kuphanga encouraged farmers to use the money for the intended purpose so that they realise bumper yields.

“Utilise the money for the intended purpose of buying farm inputs in order to change your livelihoods for the better,” Kuphanga said.

He, therefore, thanked FAO for the cash disbursement saying it will enable farmers in the district purchase farm inputs in good time in preparation for the growing season thereby enabling them achieve food security.

One of the beneficiaries from Mpakati Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chekucheku, John Henderson said the funds will help him prepare well for the 2023-2024 growing season.

He said the money will enable him buy seeds and fertilizer in time before the rainy season.

FAO is implementing a project of promoting coherence between disaster risk reduction climate action and social protection in the area of Traditional Authorities Dambe and Chekucheku in Neno district.

By Phyllis Nkhoma

Kasungu, August 21, Mana: Chief Agricultural Officer for Kasungu, Chikumbutso Liwonde says availability of well established markets can help boost agricultural productivity and assist farmers to progress in agri-business.

In an interview at the end of a three-day agriculture fair in Kasungu on Saturday, Liwonde said availability of good markets in the country would encourage farmers to expand their agricultural enterprises and take agriculture as a serious business venture.

He said: “Every year, our farmers cultivate diverse crops for both food and commercial purposes. However, they do not benefit much because of lack of good markets.

“In most cases, farmers sell their produce to local vendors at very low prices. In the end, they do not benefit anything from their work and in the long run, it discourages and force them to scale down production.”

Liwonde said the district agricultural fair was, therefore, organised to help farmers to meet and interact with potential buyers and also to accord them with an opportunity to learn modern methods of farming for improved yields.

Mayor for Kasungu Municipality, Heese Nyangu, said the agricultural fair was a good platform where farmers exhibited their produce for the attention of prospective buyers.

He encouraged farmers to adopt crop diversification to shrug off climatic shocks and also as a means to earn more from farming.

“Let us produce diverse crops so that we should have enough food and something for sale. This way we can easily prosper,” he said.

One of the farmers, Grace Shaba of Mphomwa Cooperative which produces cooking oil, asked Malawians to be buying farm produce from the local farmers saying most people opt to buy imported products.

“It is disheartening that most Malawians buy imported products while the same products are available locally. Buying locally produced products does not only support local farmers, but also helps to preserve foreign currency which we all know is in short supply,” she said.

Organised by the Kasungu agriculture office under the theme “Enhanced agriculture productivity and market linkage, key to industrialisation”, the fair attracted various farming cooperatives and individuals from across the district.

Agricultural commercialisation and productivity is one of the anchoring pillars of the Malawi 2063 development blueprint which seeks to make Malawi a middle income and self-reliant country by 2063.

By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, August 17, mana: Chitipa District Council has asked Marko Irrigation Scheme farmers in Senior Chief Mwabulambya to take good care of the facility which has been constructed under PRIDE project as one way of fighting hunger in the district.

District Commissioner (DC) for Chitipa, McMillan Magomero made the call Thursday during partial handover of the K1.9 billion scheme to farmers.

Magomero said the irrigation scheme belongs to farmers hence the need to use the facility for the intended purpose.

"It is my appeal to farmers to use the facility and grow crops to promote food security in the area, district and the country as whole. There will be capacity building for the Water Users Association (WUA) and let's apply what we have learned on the ground," Magomero said.

Magomero asked the communities to refrain from cultivating along the river banks and also settling in its catchment areas.

"We don't need to tamper with the irrigation scheme catchment area. Because if we do that, the facility will have a short lifespan. We need to sustain the irrigation scheme by conserving the catchment and its green cover," he explained.

Senior Chief Mwabulambya thanked the Government of Malawi for constructing the scheme, which he said will promote food security and boost economic activities in his area.

"We are happy that from the word go we thought it would be impossible for the irrigation scheme to be completed on time but now it is possible. Our farmers will use the scheme this winter cropping, which is a plus to the district," he said.

One of the farmers, Abdala Milazi who is also WUA secretary, assured the government that they will use the facility for the intended purpose.

PRIDE project started constructing Marko Irrigation Scheme and K1 billion Mafinga Irrigation Scheme in Chitipa District in May, 2022 as one way of eradicating hunger in the country.